Servers are computing devices that operate within a client-server architecture. Such computing devices serve the requests of other computing devices or programs, referred to as clients. Servers may share data, information, or hardware with their clients. Example servers include a database server, a file server, a mail server, a print server, a web server, a gaming server, and an application server. Oftentimes, multiple servers will be collected and operate together in a server farm or cluster.
Servers and most other computing devices include slots that provide the capability to add to the server by fitting an expansion card containing specialized hardware. Such hardware can provide some specialized capability, such as video acceleration, sound, or disk drive control. The expansion card is typically a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an electrical connector or expansion slot on a computer motherboard, backplane, or riser card to add functionality via an expansion bus.
There are various standardized types of server sizes. For example, a rack unit (also referred to as “U” or “RU”) is a unit of measure that describes the height of electronic equipment designed to mount in a 19-inch rack or a 23-inch rack. The 19 inches or 23 inches dimension reflects the width of the equipment mounting-frame in the rack including the frame; the width of the equipment can be mounted inside the rack is less. Space for expansion cards on servers can be very limited, especially for 1U servers. Therefore, there is a need to accommodate particular expansion card needs while also considering the limited space available for expansion cards. In addition, there is a desire to provide options for connecting different types of expansion cards to a server.